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Apple has officially spoken out against the UK's Investigatory Powers Bill, in an official submission to the committee running through the proposals.
Apple wants "wholesale changes" before the bill, nicknamed the "Snooper's Charter", is passed into law. Reading between the lines, it appears that the company is a little bewildered by the technological illiteracy of the politicians who want it passed.
The proposed bill essentially legitimates the bulk collection of internet data of the type uncovered by Edward Snowden, and strengthens the ability of the government to access encrypted data, by compelling tech companies to help the security services access it.
"We believe it would be wrong to weaken security for hundreds of millions of law-abiding customers so that it will also be weaker for the very few who pose a threat," Apple said, according to The Guardian. "In this rapidly evolving cyber-threat environment, companies should remain free to implement strong encryption to protect customers"
Apple's main problem appears to be with the issue of encryption - the concern is that the law could force Apple to change the security on its iMessage service to enable the government to take a look - which would mean weakening it so that other less well-meaning people could conceivably break in and access messages.
Apple's submission said: "The creation of backdoors and intercept capabilities would weaken the protections built into Apple products and endanger all our customers. A key left under the doormat would not just be there for the good guys. The bad guys would find it too."
Amusingly, Apple also clarifies that the "best minds in the world cannot rewrite the laws of mathematics" to make encrypted materials only accessible to the good guys.
The submission also expresses concerns about the conflict between domestic and international concerns. For example, what would Apple do if UK law required it to allow the government to break in, but law in another territory required Apple to keep that data safe?
"It would place businesses like Apple – whose relationship with customers is in part built on a sense of trust about how data will be handled – in a very difficult position", the submission says. It also raises the spectre of how hacking and interception capabilities could be taken advantage of by countries with less stellar records on issues like human rights.
At the moment the bill is at an early stage and so far hasn't been formally presented to MPs to vote on, so there is still time for changes and amendments. So here's hoping that in this case, the government takes Apple's advice.
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Rosedale, NY (PRWEB) June 16, 2011
Slavica Trans is celebrating its two-year anniversary this month. Slavica Trans offers containerized shipping, including cars, packages, construction materials and furniture.
Slavica Trans uses steel intermodal containers from reputable shipping lines such as CMA CGM, Maersk Line, and Hapag-Lloyd.
Slavica Trans provides specialized services to Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Slavica Trans is a fully insured containerized shipping company certified with a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier license from the Federal Maritime Commission.
# # #

domain: news


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Computer-chip giant Intel reported a 55-per cent drop in first-quarter income Tuesday but said that it believed sales had bottomed out and that business was returning to normal.
The projection was significant because Intel's chips power the vast majority of personal computers, and the company's performance is often seen as a reliable predictor of the health of the technology sector. Other top technology bellwethers including Microsoft and IBM are also due to report their earnings in the next two weeks.
Intels first-quarter profit was $647 million, compared to a profit of $1.44 billion a year ago. In the same period, revenue dropped 26 per cent to $7.14 billion from $9.67 billion a year ago.
Though such results would usually signal a devastating performance, they were positively rosy in comparison to the 90-per cent drop Intel had in its fourth-quarter net income - which was among the three worst performances by the company in the last 25 years.
Intel fared worst in the Asia-Pacific region, where revenue was down 51 per cent. Revenue dropped by 21 per cent in the Americas, 18 per cent in Europe and 10 per cent in Japan. (Source)
PS - This means there is also a decrease in sale of Computers. Now blame it recession.


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LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Astrazeneca PLC
AstraZeneca has brought a patent infringement case against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
With FDA approval of the generic drug, Teva has the option to launch "at risk" without waiting for the resolution of the patent case.
Although this strategy carries the risk of paying triple damages if the patent dispute is resolved in favor of AstraZeneca, the sales gains from selling copies of a widely prescribed branded drug could be an incentive for the Israeli company.
Astrazeneca said it has "full confidence in the strength of its intellectual property rights protecting Pulmicort Respules and will continue to vigorously defend and enforce its intellectual property."
Patents covering Pulmicort Respules expire in 2018 with pediatric exclusivity extending to 2019.
AstraZeneca shares ended little changed Tuesday at 2,805 pence, but the stock has shed 28% of its value over the past 12 months.
Company Web site: www.astrazeneca.co.uk
(Elena Berton contributed to this article)


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Death, taxes, and the Google phone are all certainties, with the latter being added to the list by Gizmodo .
According to Gizmodo a “trusted” but unnamed source has actually seen a Google phone. Gizmodo adds the phone won’t just be a run-of-the-mill Android device, but something special: Google-branded and running a new or different version of Android. (No, not Chrome OS.)
Gizmodo further reports prototypes, sporting large LCDs, will soon get a public introduction.
Image Credit: Google


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PH has no choice but to import more pork amid ASF woes, say meat processors
The Philippine government’s decision to retain low tariffs on vital agricultural imports and the continued spread of African swine fever (ASF) are expected to further encourage importation, according to the Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. (Pampi).
“Due to the retention of these lower tariffs, pork import volume is looking optimistic,” Pampi secretary Precious Chua-Yu told reporters last week. Executive Order No. 10, which extended the validity of lower tariffs on certain food items until end-December, will sustain the entry of imported pork into the country.
She also cited the spread of ASF, especially in areas that initially reported zero cases.
“[For] the longest time, specifically Visayas was not affected by ASF. They built up a very tight biosecurity to protect their hog industry.” But with the recent outbreak in Cebu, “I believe the country … doesn’t have a choice but to resort to pork imports to supply the demand of Filipino consumers,” she added.
The deadly animal disease has so far infected 21 provinces in 11 regions, based on data from the Bureau of Animal Industry as of March 27.
Chua-Yu also cited a report from the US Department of Agriculture, which pegged the country’s pork imports at 600,000 metric tons for 2023, an increase of 4.3 percent.
The outlook on pork imports appears “more promising than poultry at this point,” said Chua-Yu, noting the Department of Agriculture had issued many decrees temporarily banning the importation of poultry products to contain avian influenza.
While the 5-percent duty on mechanically deboned meat of chicken was maintained, the group gave “a dangerous outlook” on poultry importation especially since bird flu was harder to contain. INQ


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A few weeks ago Dave Lefeber was at a car show in Hartford with his 1929 Detroit Electric Model 98 FD. Dave bought his car on June 27, 1978 from an advertisement in Old Cars Weekly. It may turn out to be one of the wisest investments he ever made.
For some reason, the values of early Electric cars are rising. Maybe it has something to do with the increasing popularity of modern electric cars, which have been getting better. The Tesla is a great example of just how good an electric car can be. It is very fast, very quiet, very reliable and very expensive.
Cars like Dave’s don’t look sleek and car-like the way a Tesla does. They look like phone booths. Yes, some of us actually remember what a phone booth looked like! The Detroit Electric Brougham looks like a phone booth with wheels.
Last year we were doing appraisals for The Automobile Gallery (www.theautomobilegallery.org) in Green Bay, Wis. Red Lewis, who founded the Gallery purchased a 1917 Milburn Electric. When the market was researched, It turned out that another Milburn—a 1923 model—had been sold on June 15, 2015 at the Motostalgia Indianapolis "Brickyard" auction for $165,000.
Now one high sale does not a market make, but it’s very clear that early electric cars are bringing much higher prices than ever before. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues. It flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that says prices for prewar cars are dropping like a lead balloon.
Interestingly, while we were talking to Dave Lefeber, a young car enthusiast came walking up to tell Dave that a “Telephone Booth” electric car had recently been discovered in Waukesha, Wis. So, not only are electric car values rising–there’s still some of them lying around that haven’t been found yet.


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St. Jude Medical Inc., the second-biggest maker of electronic heart devices, said first-quarter profit rose 27 percent on rising sales of surgically implanted defibrillators, used to restore normal cardiac rhythm.
Net income rose to $184.8 million, or 53 cents a share, from $145.7 million, or 41 cents, a year earlier, the Little Canada-based company said today in a statement. Sales climbed to $1.01 billion from $887 million.
St. Jude competes with No. 1 Medtronic Inc. and Boston Scientific Corp. in selling defibrillators, $30,000 matchbox- sized devices implanted in the chest to shock hearts back into a steady rhythm. Demand for the devices shrank after Medtronic and a company now owned by Boston Scientific recalled products linked to deaths in 2005.
“For investors to be happy with St. Jude, they have to report strong numbers on implanted cardiac devices,” said Joanne Wuensch, an analyst with BMO Capital Markets in New York, in a telephone interview before today’s results. “That’s what people respond to.”
St. Jude fell 2 cents to $43.74 yesterday in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, after rising 6.9 percent in the 12 months before today. The company is buying back up to $250 million in stock, it said in February.


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Latest Ford Fusion Hybrid Stories
DEARBORN, Mich., April 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford Chief Engineer of Global Core Engineering Hybrid and Electric Vehicles, Chuck Gray singles out five top technologies to enable electrification Auto Start-Stop, Human Machine Interface (HMI), regenerative braking system, new batteries and motors all seen as critical for electrification advancementFord's aggressive electrification strategy includes the launch of five electrified vehicles in North America by 2012 and Europe by 2013.
DEARBORN, Mich., March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford hybrid vehicles rank at the top of the list for payback and fuel cost savings, giving consumers more value and return on investment, compared to competitorsFord's hybrid vehicle lineup - the Fusion Hybrid and Escape Hybrid - is industry leading for overall investment among competing midsize, luxury and SUV hybrids Hybrid vehicles are part of Ford's overall electrification strategy, which includes a suite of five new electrified models...
DEARBORN, Mich., March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford has secured two patents for specific parts of SmartGauge(TM) with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster that coaches drivers to maximize fuel efficiency One patent is for EcoGuide, the display of leaves and vines that "reacts" to short-term driving habits and coaches drivers on how to achieve their best fuel economyThe other patent covers the power threshold gauge, which helps drivers adjust driving habits to be more fuel efficientFord...
DEARBORN, Mich., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford's new "Take Charge" contest on its Electrified Vehicle Facebook page asks consumers to share what actions they are taking to help the environment, with winners being awarded an electric vehicle experienceFacebook users can offer ideas in four categories centered around lowering their impact on the environment.
DETROIT, Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Better fuel efficiency, which is rising on the list of customer demands, played a big role in Chevrolet's U.S.
DEARBORN, Mich., Jan.
PLYMOUTH, Mich., Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell's (NYSE: HON) turbocharged Chevrolet Cruze Eco engine is putting pricier--and less efficient--hybrids and other compact vehicles on notice with a best-in-class 42 mpg highway rating from the U.S. EPA.
LOS ANGELES, Nov.
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- With a continued focus on economic and environmental concerns, manufacturers are increasingly focused on high-mileage and low emission vehicles.
- A hairdresser.


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Fortnite servers are shutting down this morning as Epic Games prepares to release their next big Fortnite update 12.60 for all platform players - PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC and Mobile.
Epic Games announced the news late last night that they'll be releasing a new Fortnite update for the game on Wednesday, May 20.
Writing on Twitter, the Epic Games official Fortnite Status account told fans:
"Hello, all! v12.60 is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20. Downtime will begin at 2 AM ET (0600 UTC). Thank you for being among The Agency’s finest."
The developers will provide an update on when server maintenance has ended, but you can likely expect it to last roughly two hours and end at 9am BST.
Although it's possible it can take slightly longer. Problems do occur now and again after all.
For those unaware, this means matchmaking will be temporarily disabled for all Fortnite modes, which includes the more popular Battle Royale mode, as well as Fortnite Save the World and Fortnite Creative.
This new update will bring the game up to Fortnite version 12.60.
Whilst it's unlikely to be the biggest update since the game launched, it will likely contain plenty of new files related to the games upcoming Doomsday event which is expected to be the big season ending event for the game.
Gaming insider and trusted source for all things Fortnite, iFireMonkey, has posted a video that runs through all the things we can expect to see in Fortnite 12.60. Check out the video above to learn more.
iFireMonkey lists a few things – so here's a quick rundown of what we're expecting to see once the new update is up and running in-game.
First up, the insider suggests we're going to see the Shadow version of The Agency appear in the game, altering the POI from its current state.
“A few updates ago a shadow version for the Agency was added,” the leaker tweeted previously.
“Considering he hasn’t swapped to Shadow yet this is either a red herring or will happen sometime during v12.60.”
Stay tuned for more details, leaks and hopefully some official patch notes confirming all changes later today with Fortnite update 12.60.


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Tracy Ward, who recently took over as director of the Flagstaff (Ariz.) CVB, may or may not have his job very long. It turns out that Ward, a veteran of more than two decades in the travel and tourism industry who was hired last Nov. 6 and started work on Nov. 23, from Experience Kissimmee in Florida (where he was also interim director for more than a year) apparently returned to the Orlando area between those two dates when Orange County sheriff’s deputies picked him up on a battery charge. It turns out that Ward and his roommate apparently had a dispute over the dog who lived there—the roommate accused Ward of letting the dog out of the kennel—during which Ward allegedly landed two punches to his roommate’s head. Flagstaff officials have said that Ward had passed a standard background check before he was hired, and they have reviewed the Orange County Circuit Court records on the case and discussed it with Ward and are waiting to see what the outcome of the case will be.
In France, Soléa Holidays has announced the appointment of Alexander Espitalier Christmas as CEO. He took over the post on March 1st. He will continue to run its operations for France, the Benelux and Southern Europe. Pascal Boyer will become, in turn, commercial director of Soléa on the same date. He worked previously for Nouvelles Frontières, TUI PLC, STI Travel and Travel 24 France.
Vincent Lhoste has left the Reed Exhibitions group for the travel insurance sector, joining UK-based AXA Travel Insurance as global sales director, travel. At Reed, Lhoste served as director of IFTM (Reed Expositions France) from 2007—2012 before taking over WTM Latin America, Asia and China until January of this year. Previously, he worked for TUI France as director of production and for Travelport as director of sales and marketing.
Alipio Camanzano, who headed the popular Brazilian travel website, Decolar.com, for eight-and-a-half years, has been named the new director of CVC for online sales and Submarino Viagens (literally, Submarine Travels, which CVC had acquired) as CVC, the nation’s largest travel company pursues greater share in the online travel market in Brazil.
Abby Spatz, chief marketing office for NYC & Company,has left the organization. Her tenure lasted a little over seven months. A veteran of more than two decades in marketing, communications and advertising positions, Spatz had come to NYC & Co. from Blissworld, which specialized in beauty and skin care products, where she was vice president/head of integrated marketing communications.


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We live in unusual times with the mantra for most businesses across all the industries being ‘business unusual.’ That is mostly thanks to the spread of coronavirus’ sickening tentacles around the world. Right now, the COVID-19 pandemic still has a nauseating embrace on virtually the entire globe.
Amid this pandemic, humanity has stood firm and proved up to the task of tackling the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. You can see that from the innovation happening from across the industries, from the electronics technology fields in the form of virtual classrooms, online purchases, and virtual meetings, to the biological technology innovation, such as the various options of possible COVID-19 virus vaccines currently on trial.
The innovative Face Mask – Blanc Mask
According to a directive from the World Health Organization, among other medical bodies, wearing a face mask goes a long way in helping curb the spread of this virus. While there is a myriad of versions of masks in the market, it is safe to say, not all masks work for everyone.
For instance, WHO recommends that health workers to use specialized masks like the N95 masks, which you can buy here, while the general population can use standardized cloth-based face masks. Well, you might want to learn of a new type of face mask that seems to have been 3D-printed right out of a sci-fi movie.
Dubbed Blanc Mask, this equipment – yes, you read that right, it is a tech-gizmo – is said to clean 99.97% of the bad things in the air you breathe. That ranges from the microorganisms such as coronavirus to micro-particles to VOCs.
The Full-Face Cover Design
The Blanc mask is a full-face cover that not only filters the air you breathe, thus protects you from COVID-19 infection, but also wholly covers your face. It is quite ideal in this increasingly over-surveyed world.
When you snap it on together and use it to cover your face, you use a wide headband at the back to strap it around the back of your head. So, unlike the conventional face masks, the Blanc mask will not give your ear fatigue from the string pulling them towards your face. You could wear the mask all day without ever needing to remove it because of the soars around your ears like the ones you get when wearing a conventional face mask.
Once worn, this face mask becomes completely air-tight around your head. With air flowing inside a carefully calibrated pathway drawing in fresh air from outside through HEPA filters located at the front. While the air you exhale leaves the mask from outlets located at the base. The mask’s air-flow design is such that your visor does not get fogged up as you exhale.
It is interesting to point out that you can also wear the mask with your prescription-glasses. Additionally, you can have it come with a customized visor with corrective lenses for your eyesight installed. Visors with corrective lenses come at a higher price.
A Fashion Statement
While the Blanc Mask’s primary objective is to protect you from COVID-19 infection, it comes in a variety of interesting designs that you can use to make bold fashion statements. Indeed, this gizmo falls right into the category of wearable technology. Check out the pics below, and see if you disagree.
Image Credit: YankoDesign.com


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At this week’s Mobile World Congress, Adobe (http://www.adobe.com) that developers and content publishers can now deploy Adobe AIR applications to more than 84 million smartphones and tablets running iOS and Android.
By the end of 2011, Adobe expects more than 200 million smartphones and tablets to support Adobe AIR applications. For examples of popular AIR applications for Android and iOS, visit m.flash.com .
In addition, Adobe announced that more than 20 million smartphones were shipped or upgraded with Adobe Flash Player 10.1 software on over 35 certified devices in the first six months following the launch. But don’t count iOS devices among them, as Apple — or at least CEO Steve Jobs — isn’t a Flash fan. For 2011, the company expects Flash Player to be supported on more than 132 million units worldwide, says David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Creative and Interactive Solutions Business Unit, Adobe.
Adobe is also showcasing the latest release of Flash Player — Flash Player 10.2 — along with additional performance advancements at the Mobile World Congress conference. The new release includes support for new features including Stage Video, which purportedly delivers improved video performance through optimizing hardware acceleration on mobile devices, desktops and TVs.
A key element of the Adobe Flash Platform, AIR enables developers to leverage existing code to create and deliver standalone applications across devices and platforms. Adobe AIR supports smartphones and tablets based on iOS, Android, BlackBerry Tablet OS, and desktops including Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems.


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Xiaomi Book Pro 2022 is all set to launch on July 4 in China alongside the Xiaomi 12S series. The Chinese electronics brand, via Weibo, has confirmed the arrival of the new laptop in its home country. It has also shared a poster on the Chinese microblogging platform, revealing the Mi Notebook Pro successor’s design. The Xiaomi Book Pro 2022 is teased to pack a 4K OLED display and will measure 14.9mm in thickness. The display will support Dolby Vision as well.
The launch of Xiaomi Book Pro 2022 will be held in China on July 4, as per teaser posters shared (in Chinese) by Xiaomi on Weibo. As mentioned, teaser images suggest that Xiaomi Book Pro 2022 will have a 4K OLED display with support for Dolby Vision. The laptop will have a lightweight build with 14.9mm thickness. The Xiaomi Book Pro 2022 will be launched alongside Xiaomi 12S series. The lineup, which is expected to include three models – Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Xiaomi 12S Pro, and Xiaomi 12S will go official at 7pm CST Asia (4:30pm IST) on July 4.
The new Xiaomi Book Pro 2022 is expected to succeed the Mi NoteBook Pro that was released in India in August last year with an initial price tag of Rs. 56,999 for the Intel Core i5 processor with 8GB of RAM configuration. The Core i5 + 16GB RAM model costs Rs. 59,999. The top-of-the-line Core i7 + 16GB RAM model costs Rs. 72,999.
The Mi NoteBook Pro features a 14-inch 2.5K (2,560×1,600 pixels) display and is powered by up to an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor with Iris Xe graphics. It offers up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The Mi NoteBook Pro has a 56Whr battery.
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Noise ColorFit Pro 4, ColorFit Pro 4 Max with Bluetooth Calling Launched in India: Price, Specifications
Google, Vodafone Partner to Work Towards Extending Wear OS Smartwatch Battery Life


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This week we’re predicting release dates and pondering the closure of the studio that brought us Guitar Hero.
Andrew Passafiume: 5
Graham Russell: 5
Shawn Vermette: 40
Gran Turismo 5 delayed until fall
Polyphony’s best selling racing sim has met with delay after delay in its slow plod towards a release. Last year Sony finally gave it a release window of Spring 2010, hoping to rely on it to give the PS3 a much needed exclusive to combat the release of Conviction and Alan Wake on the 360. However, rumor has it that it will be delayed yet again and will finally be released this fall.
Andrew: This wouldn’t surprise me much at all. The game has been delayed so many times at this point, and with Sony wanting to spread all of its big first party titles around, I can see it happening. God of War III is the big exclusive for the spring, so Gran Turismo 5 could be one of the big exclusives, if not the big exclusive for the fall. 95%
Graham: I think that Duke Nukem Forever has tainted our judgment a bit on things like this. It’s completely possible that it’ll meet its target…oh, who am I kidding. There’s no firm date yet, so there’s no way such a big title will be hastily scheduled for May or something. Yeah, it’s slipping, and Sony will have to crack the whip to get it out before winter. 64%
Shawn: I didn’t see much realism in the whole Spring 2010 launch period to begin with. On the other hand, I’m not convinced that this project that has so far failed to ever touch a production milestone will actually come out this year at all. Since this rumor also posits it coming out this year, I’m going to have to lower my prediction certainty a bit. 65%
Halo: Reach to be released September 21, 2010
Sure, it might be a stretch to speculate on a specific date for Halo: Reach right now, when the beta hasn’t even been released yet. However, Halo 3 was released September 25, 2007 and its beta started on May 16. The Halo: Reach beta is starting during the same short time frame, on May 3. Thanks to this and the magic of comparing release schedules, Halo 3: ODST was released September 22, 2009, a release date of September 21, 2010 is not out of the question for Halo: Reach. The question is, are we right or not?
Andrew: I definitely see this happening. ODST sold incredibly well in September with not much competition, so why not release Reach around the same time the following year? But I do consider the fact that ODST did fewer units than Halo 3 did two years prior. Whether that is due to the release date or the fact that ODST was not a fully fledged Halo title is not really certain, so Bungie could try a different launch period. 90%
Graham: So we’re just pulling dates out of the air now? It could be the week after, the week before…heck, they could launch it on a Sunday or something. And you guys are so incredibly certain that it’s the one date, so if it’s any day at all but that one I’ll pull out ahead with such a lead that it’s not even funny? Well that certainly makes my decision easy. 1%
Shawn: Microsoft seems in love with the whole September release date for Halo, having launched Halo 3 and Halo: ODST during that month. Due to that fact, and the fact that games are always released on a Tuesday, there’s a very limited number of possibilities. Therefore I shall go out on a limb and say it is an absolute certainty. 100%
RedOctane closed by Activision
Despite posting a profit for last year, Activision has recently announced layoffs at a number of studios and closed one. Rumor has it though that Activision is closing another studio, RedOctane, founding studio of Guitar Hero. Activision bought RedOctane for $100 million a few years ago and quickly reaped a tenfold profit off of them, announcing a year later they’d made $1 billion in revenues on Guitar Hero. However, the rhythm genre has fallen of rough times during the past year and it sounds as if RedOctane will now be feeling the squeeze as well. Would Activision really close a studio that has been so profitable for them simply because of one down year?
Andrew: I doubt this, I really do. I know they have laid off some people at Radical and Neversoft, but I don’t think they would close an entire studio because of it. RedOctane continues to make profits for Activision based on the peripherals they design and the Guitar Hero license in general, even if the music game industry hasn’t been as successful in 2009 as it has been in prior years. 10%
Graham: I think the key here is that RedOctane is now and has always been a publisher. Sure, they make a few accessories, but they don’t develop games, so they’re pretty much duplicating Activision’s efforts. Closing RedOctane as a separate studio isn’t a sign that they didn’t like their performance, as they can move key personnel into Activision Blizzard’s HQ. Yes, this is happening. Honestly, I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner. 97%
Shawn: Unlike Andrew, I find this to be fairly credible. The last few Guitar Hero games did not come from RedOctane, so Activision obviously doesn’t need them in order to produce the actual games. Additionally, rhythm games fell very hard last year. Whether that was a result of market oversaturation or the end of the rhythm game era is yet to be seen, but Activision is playing it safe by only releasing one Guitar Hero game this year. Market conditions and a payroll that is likely pretty high both contribute, I feel, to making this a true rumor. 80%


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Stephen Matthews, a book shop owner in Carlisle, says shops on the traditional high street need to evolve with the times.
Watch the full interview below:
More top news
We're showing some of the best weather photos, after Cumbria and the South of Scotland were hit by heavy snow.
Winter is back with weather warnings in place across the region. Ross has the details:
Colder, windier and wetter weather is on the way.


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The average selling price, which was expected to fall below Rs 11,000 due to the economic impact on consumers, has actually risen to Rs 14,000, analysts said. This is because, for the first time, the market has seen the widest portfolio of premium smartphones with sharp price drops, of up to 60%, at the start of the festive season .
“Although the bulk of purchases are still in the Rs 10,000-15,000 price category, there is also a relatively increased sell out in high-end phones due to large discounts and promotional offers, which brands are pushing,” said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint.
Several research firms estimate that this year's festive week, marked by Amazon's Great Indian Festival and Flipkart's Big Billion Days, could outperform previous year's smartphone sales.
“This year’s festive season sales are on track to overtake last year's sales,” said Amit Sharma, analyst-Industry Intelligence Group at CyberMedia Research (CMR). “The pent-up consumer demand is coming especially from Aspirational India, including many first-time ecommerce buyers, from tier II, III cities and beyond.”
He added that besides work and learn from home needs, revenge buying amongst premium consumers is also high.
ET had reported that industry consultants Forrester Research and RedSeer Consulting are pegging cumulative sales by Amazon and Flipkart from October 15 to 22 at about $4.7 billion (about Rs 35,000 crore) on average.
For smartphones, TechArc has pegged total sales in the current quarter at 41 million units against 36.9 million in the corresponding quarter last year. Out of these, 15 million will be sold in this six-day period alone by the two e-tailers. This number would be 74.7% of the total online sales expected in this quarter, Faisal Kawoosa, founder and chief analyst at TeachArc, said.
CMR’s Sharma said niche and nascent brands such as LG and Asus are potentially positioned to grow their market shares this quarter as online platforms provide a level-playing field for every brand, which is able to match the demand supply gap.
- Front Page
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- Sumitomo Mitsui, 4 Others Sought Info on IDBI Sale
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and one other global bank are among five potential investors that have sought information from the Centre about the sale of state equity in IDBI Bank through a formal query process that closed on November 10, people familiar with the matter told ET.Flipkart may go in for $700m Esop Buyback
Walmart-owned homegrown ecommerce marketplace Flipkart is likely to facilitate a $700 million employee stock buyback as part of digital payments platform PhonePe’s new financing round, multiple sources briefed on the matter told ET.Falling Input Costs may Cool Prices of Essentials, Apparel
Prices of groceries, daily essentials and apparel are likely to fall over the next two quarters as input costs are expected to decline, spurring sales in the process, according to consumer goods makers.
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Grifols to Acquire Talecris; Elan's CEO to Stay Until 2012; And More.
Albemarle (Baton Rouge, LA), a supplier of fine-chemistry services, is building a kilo laboratory in Louvain la Neuve, Belgium. The facility is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2010.
Ascenta Therapeutics (Malvern, PA), a biopharmaceutical company, signed an agreement with sanofi-aventis (Paris) focused on several early-stage agents being investigated for their potential to restore tumor cell apoptosis (programmed cell death). Ascenta will receive an upfront payment, and milestone payments that could reach a total of $398 million, plus royalties on product sales.
Grifols (Barcelona) a producer of plasma protein therapies, agreed to acquire Talecris (Research Triangle Park, NC), a biotherapeutics products company, for $3.4 billion. The transaction will be a combination of cash and newly issued Grifols non-voting shares.
Hospira (Lake Forest, IL), a specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, signed a pact with specialty pharmaceutical company Durect (Cupertino, CA) to develop and market Durect's Posidur (SABER-bupivacaine) a long-acting version of the anesthetic bupivacaine currently in Phase III clinical trials. Hospira will make an upfront payment of $27.5 million, potentially $185 million in milestone payments, plus royalties on product sales. Phase III trials are expected to be completed in 2011.
Immunovaccine (Halifax, Canada), a developer of vaccine-delivery technology, signed a collaborative research agreement with Vaxil BioTherapeutics (Nes-Ziona, Israel), a developer of vaccines, focused on Vaxil’s cancer antigens in Immunovaccine’s DepoVax vaccine enhancement platform.
Pharmalucence (Bedford, MA), a producer of radiopharmaceuticals, will construct a 70,000-ft2 contract manufacturing facility and new corporate headquarters in Billerica, Massachusetts. The company expects to create 25 to 30 new jobs as a result of this expansion and that the facility will be operational in 2012.
QPharma (Morristown, NJ), a provider of regulatory and compliance solutions, launched its Engineering Services group. The group will provide services designed to aid in implementing and maintaining systems, processes, and facilities.
Royal Philips Electronics (Eindhoven, The Netherlands) signed a pact with RXi Pharmaceuticals (Worcester, MA), a biopharmaceutical company, to research combining proprietary technologies from both companies for the targeted delivery of experimental therapeutics based on RNA interference (RNAi). The joint research program between Philips and RXi will focus on RNAi drug delivery by exploring, in preclinical studies, using RXi's sd-rxRNA (self-delivering rxRNA) in conjunction with Philips's ultrasound technology to achieve the targeted delivery and monitoring of RNAi-based compounds in cells.
sanofi-aventis (Paris) signed a research agreement with the Charité University of Berlin. The public-private partnership is the first of this kind in Germany, according to a company press release. In a separate announcement, sanofi said it formed an alliance with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Biomedical Innovation (Cambridge, MA), which will be known as the sanofi-aventis Biomedical Innovation Program (SABIP).
TransTech Pharma (High Point, NC), a pharmaceutical company, and Forest Laboratories (New York) entered into a drug-development deal for small-molecule compounds discovered and developed by TransTech for up to $1.105 billion. These compounds are functionally liver-selective glucokinase activators (GKAs), designed for the treatment of diabetes. Under the agreement, Forest will pay an upfront license fee of $50 million. TransTech could receive up to $1.105 billion in upfront and milestone payments for the development and commercialization of the GKA compounds, plus royalty payments.
VaxGen (South San Francisco, CA), a biopharmaceutical company, agreed to acquire diaDexus (South San Francisco, CA), a privately held diagnostics company, in a stock-for-stock merger. Upon the closing of the transaction, diaDexus will become a wholly owned subsidiary of VaxGen. The officers of the combined company will be the current officers of diaDexus, and the combined company will be renamed diaDexus. The companies anticipate that the merger will close in the third quarter of 2010.
Biotechnology company Biogen Idec (Cambridge, MA) is in the final stages of selecting a new CEO and expects to announce the selection soon. James C. Mullen, president, CEO, and director, retired June 8, 2010. The company also announced that Chief Operating Officer Robert A. Hamm will retire on Dec. 31, 2010. In addition, John G. Cox was promoted to the new position of executive vice-president of pharmaceutical operations and technology.
Kelly Martin will remain CEO and director of Elan (Dublin) through May 1, 2012. It is expected that Martin will then serve as executive advisor to the board of directors through Jan. 31, 2013.
Par Pharmaceutical (Woodcliff Lake, NJ) announced the resignation of Lawrence A. Kenyon, executive vice-president and chief financial officer, effective June 30, 2010. Michael A. Tropiano, Par's treasurer, will replace Kenyon.
ProChon Biotech (Woburn, MA), a biotechnology company focused on tissue regeneration, appointed Brian Callahan executive vice-president of regulatory and quality affairs. Callahan will coordinate with regulatory authorities on the company’s clinical trial programs and will be responsible for ensuring quality compliance for its internal and outsourced operations.
Talecris Biotherapeutics (Research Triangle Park, NC) promoted John R. Perkins to the position of executive vice-president of global commercial operations. Perkins will be responsible for the global commercial business, including portfolio management, sales, and marketing.
Specialty pharmaceutical company ULURU’s (Addison, TX) President and CEO Renaat Van den Hooff resigned. Kerry P. Gray, chairman of the company's board of directors, has been appointed by the board to serve as the company's president and CEO.
YM BioSciences (Mississauga, Canada), a life sciences product development company, appointed Nick Glover to the newly created position of president and CEO. Glover was previously the president and CEO of Viventia Biotech (Mississauga, Canada), a biopharmaceutical company.


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Sunday, 27 September 2020 03:41 AM
September 27, 2016 07:28 PM NPT
KATHMANDU, Sept 27: Renault's authorized distributor in Nepal, Advanced Automobiles Pvt. Ltd -- a part of Vishal Group, has announced the launch of its special festive offer -- Renault Cashtival.
The offer has been launched on the occasion of Dashain and Tihar festivals and it will be valid till November 6, Advanced Automobiles said in a statement.
According to the statement, Renault Cashtival offers incredible value to the customers who choose to purchase their dream Renault car during the period.
"As part of the offer, the customers can avail cashback of up to Rs 125,000 and Rs 90,000 on purchase of Renault Duster and KWID, respectively.
In addition to the cashback, customers also get a chance to win a free round trip tickets for two to Singapore.
"During the scheme period, the company will also provide low interest rate on EMI and pay road tax for a year.
Similarly, they can exchange their old vehicles of any brand with the brand new Renault car," the statement added.
KATHMANDU, March 14: Advanced Automobiles Pvt Ltd, an authorized distributor of Renault in Nepal has launched ‘Renault WOW offer’ for...
KATHMANDU, Sept 27: Renault’s authorized distributor in Nepal, Advanced Automobiles Pvt. Ltd -- a part of Vishal Group, has announced...
KATHMANDU, July 25: Sanima Bank has introduced 'Sanima Money Maximization Scheme'. ...


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We’re merely days a week and a half away from the launch of the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro which is scheduled for May 14. While pre-booking has started for the premium OnePlus 7 Pro, original prices of the device have now been leaked online. If the leaked price is anything to be believed, the OnePlus 7 Pro’s base variant could start at Rs 49,999, establishing a whole new price segment for the Chinese company.
The news comes from Twitter tipster Ishan Agarwal who has revealed that the OnePlus 7 Pro could start at Rs 49,999 for the base 6GB+128GB model. The device will also come in 8GB+256GB and 12GB+256GB configurations for Rs 52,999 and Rs 57,999 respectively.
It was recently also established that the price of the standard OnePlus 7 could start at somewhere between Rs 37,000 and Rs 39,500. That means the standard and the Pro variant pack Rs 10k worth of differences and the lack of a third camera barely makes sense for such a price hike.
If OnePlus does end up selling the Pro variant for the above price, it will no longer be able to justify the primary motto that it went popular for – Flagship killer. That is because, beyond Rs 50k, OnePlus has itself reached the flagship category. For Rs 49,999, users who wish to buy a OnePlus 7 Pro will get similar or more features from much more established like Apple and Samsung who have got the iPhone XR and Galaxy S10e for a starting price of Rs 59,900 and Rs 55,900.
Since we’re in the topic of the OnePlus 7 Pro, let’s talk specifications. The OnePlus 7 Pro will feature a 6.64-inch AMOLED display with a Quad HD+ resolution at a refresh rate of 90 Hz. It will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor with 10GB of RAM and an under-the-display fingerprint scanner.
The device will run on Android 9 Pie with OxygenOS. It will equip a triple lens setup with a 48MP primary, a telephoto lens and an ultra-wide-angle camera. The Pro model will come with a 4,000mAh battery units with a 30W Warp Charge USB-C adapter.


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Global tablet market set for return in 2018
The global tablet market is set for a return in 2018 as major IT players including Amazon, Huawei, Microsoft and Google all plan to launch new models in the coming year, while sales of Apple’s iPad products will remain fast, according to industry sources.
The sources said that despite the global tablet market having remained slow for years due partly to the absence of killer models, a market stabilization has appeared in 2017 following a spate of knock-out competitions, with the annual decline in global tablet shipments expected to narrow to only 5%.
In 2018, the tablet market will see growth speed effectively driven by double-digit increases in shipments from such brand vendors as Amazon and Huawei, Microsoft’s launch of its new Surface models in the first half of the year, and Google’s likely return to the tablet market with new education devices. As a result, an ensuing strong war among brand vendors is expected to put global tablet shipments back to a growth track in the coming year, the sources said.
By offering tablets at super-low prices to consumers to enhance its e-commerce service ecosystem, Amazon expects shipments of its Kindle Fire tablets to reach a record high of 12-13 million units in 2017, and a shipment growth of 10% in 2018.
Huawei expects its tablet shipments to rise to over 10 million units in 2017, likely to exceed the shipment volume of Lenovo for the first time ever due to its fast and attacking marketing strategies and launch of a full series of models.
The sources said Apple has also performed well in the tablet market by launching 9.7-inch budget-priced iPad models in the second quarter of 2017, effectively maintaining its leading position in the global tablet market. The company plans to strengthen its pricing strategy for the new i Pads in 2018 to trigger a replacement spree by customers holding old models, so as to maintain its tablet shipments at high levels.


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Y los desarrolladores de las Apps y Google y desarrolladores de Android, por lo mismo.
Lo leo en Venture Beat que hacer referencia a un artículo en The Wall Street Journal:
«Some apps collect information including location, unique serial-number-like identifiers for the phone, and personal details such as age and sex. Apps routinely send the information to marketing companies that use it to compile dossiers on phone users. As part of the What They Know investigative series into data privacy, the Journal analyzed the data collected and shared by 101 popular apps on iPhone and Android phones (including the Journal’s own iPhone app). This interactive database shows the behavior of these apps, and describes what each app told users about the information it gathered.»
Apple se ha defendido tibiamente:
«Apple claims that it reviews apps and doesn’t allow them to transmit personal information without permission, but the WSJ’s report shows multiple instances of approved popular apps that are guilty of sharing data. Apple hasn’t yet responded to the WSJ’s investigation, but now that there’s a lawsuit in the mix, I suspect we’ll be hearing something from the Cupertino company soon.»


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The pros, the cons and the future of Facebook chatbots
Thinking of swapping out your customer service agents with chatbots? Before you do, columnist Jordan Kasteler discusses the pros and cons of the technology and what the future holds for brands.
In 2016, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the new chatbot feature for the Facebook Messenger app. This feature would allow a bot to respond to a customer inquiry. The goal was to provide real-time engagement for customers with large brands.
Sounds pretty great all around, right? Since then, many marketers have jumped at the chance to use this technology to improve customer relations while boosting conversions. But what does the future look like? And how can your business harness this tech for your own benefit?
Where we are today
Before we look too closely at the future of chatbots, it’s a good idea to get a pulse on where we are today. Quite frankly, the launch of this new technology has been rocky at best. Many of the bots were buggy, and customers said they felt downright annoying rather than helpful.
Ouch. That’s the opposite of what marketers were hoping to achieve with this technology, so is it still worth paying attention to? Absolutely!
Facebook admits that the artificial intelligence just hasn’t become as powerful as it needs to be to dominate the market in the way that many predicted it would — but that doesn’t mean the future isn’t bright for these bots.
Facebook is doubling down on the technology and planning to make it better, faster and more powerful than we’ve seen over the past year, which makes it worth paying attention to.
This technology has a lot of promise, and the future looks bright. So bright, in fact, that it’s time to start planning or refining your strategy so you’re rocking and rolling with the developments as they come (and they will come fast and furious with the amount of manpower behind this technology).
But this technology isn’t for everyone. Here are the future pros and cons to using Facebook chatbots for your business.
Pros and cons of using Facebook chatbots
Pro: It’s personal
One of the biggest challenges with any kind of automated marketing is personalization. How do you make an interaction with a robot look and feel like a conversation with a human? The answer: chatbots.
Take this example from Pizza Hut (which could be used by any kind of e-commerce business with a customer order history on file). When a customer writes “reorder,” Pizza Hut answers with a list of his or her last three orders, making it easier to choose and get the pizza in the oven.
For quick transactions like this, it’s nice not to have to wait on hold while the clerk finishes up with a customer in store or takes another order on another line. You’re able to get your pizza cooking quickly with as little fuss as possible.
Con: It won’t replace the human touch
No matter how helpful these bots are, they still can’t do everything a human can. Sure, you can program messaging that sounds empathetic to problems, or you can create excitement with personal messages, but is that enough?
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.


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At a time like this, we wish we were Ford employees. Hoping to re-energize confidence within the company, FoMoCo is inviting out employees and retirees out to its top-secret track in Dearborn to test-drive the company’s upcoming vehicles. The ‘Drive One’ program kicked off last week and will end August 28th and so far 4,000 employees and retirees have had the chance to get behind the wheels of the 2010 Ford Mustang and next-generation Ford Fusion. Both cars are scheduled to go on sale next year.
The group has also had the chance to test future powertrains including a plug-in hybrid version of the Ford Escape, an electric Ford Ranger and the upcoming Lincoln MKS with EcoBoost that will debut next year.
Employees are appreciating Ford’s efforts and say that it is helping lift their spirits about FoMoCo’s future. Tim Happ, a transmission engineer that has been with Ford for 30 years said that at time employees don’t get to see the final product until the public does.
Source: Detroit News


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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
An entrepreneur, 7Figures Group of Companies has said it is set to improve businesses in Nigeria through the use of local fabric and music. The subsidiary companies under it includes a record label, fashion brand and an humanitarian foundation.
The founder and Chief Executive Officer, 7Figures Group Franklin Chiemelu Chikezie, while speaking with journalists said, the 7Figures Group of Companies is a conglomerate brand that houses 7Figures Music , Grandeur Franklin Fashion International and Franklin Chikezie Foundation (FCF) which is into humanitarian activities.
Chikezie explained that the 7Figure Music label has come to add value to the global entertainment industry with numerous artistes that will be unveiled soon, adding that Nigerian artistes are talented and creative .
“The fashion company, Grandeur Franklin International is new, hot and ready to explore the global fashion industry with our unique and creative designs. For embarking on this project, I have been a fashion person as you can see from what I am wearing now. I want to create a unique brand with our local materials which will be showcased to the global fashion community for appreciate and collect.
“ we will engage our local talents who will be groomed by the company to produce clothing that will match international standard. I see this as another way of engaging our youths meaningfully and also empower them to be independent with their learned career in tailoring. This will however help to put the youths out of the street for positive purposes. There is also a skill acquisition Centre established under 7Figure Group that will take care of our teeming youths to learn any trade of their choice, and after training, they will also be empowered with start-up seed funds and working equipments,” he said.
Chiemelu further noted that The ‘Franklin Chikezie Foundation’ is a project dear to his heart. “I grew up from a humble background and I know what it feels to be poor. So, the foundation’s target will be widows and out of school children. This group is more vulnerable. We focused on the children because I believe that education is the best legacy you can bequeath to any child, and when you do that, you reduce criminality in the society,” said Chiemelu Franklin Chikezie.


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Claycamp has only one new car on his lot: a red 2009 Chrysler 300C demonstrator. He can't buy new cars because GMAC Financial Services rejected his application for floorplan financing last July, but he acknowledges that he was in financial trouble before the GMAC rejection. About a dozen other banks have since declined to extend him credit.
While Claycamp's financing problems are unusual, his situation does illustrate a significant headache for Chrysler Group: Inadequate credit dogs Chrysler dealerships in some markets, even though GMAC has approved about 94 percent of the 1,474 Chrysler dealerships formerly floorplanned by Chrysler Financial.
The problem is particularly acute along the central coast of California, a region stretching north from the western suburbs of Los Angeles almost to San Jose -- an area that includes Claycamp's store.
Total Chrysler Group dealerships: 2,352
Applied for GMAC floorplanning: 1,474
Approved by GMAC: 1,377
Approved, pending loan stipulations: 14
Not approved because they didn't meet GMAC's credit standards: 83
Trouble in CaliforniaSays Brian Maas, director of government affairs for the California New Car Dealers Association in Sacramento: "When the whole bankruptcy thing happened, Chrysler Financial pulled out and GMAC was supposed to step in, and they've been slow to do that. A lot of these guys are scrambling for financing, and banks aren't willing to do that.
"Unless you're dualed or have another line willing to floor your Chrysler vehicles, you're going to be scrambling. If you don't have access to capital, you can't buy the inventory. And the customer goes in and says you just don't have the choice of vehicles that competing dealers at another line might have."
Chrysler Group had a 5.4 percent market share in California for 2009, according to the dealers association. That compares with 8.9 percent for 2009 nationally. In 2005, Chrysler held a 7.5 percent share of the California market.
Chrysler Group spokeswoman Kathy Graham acknowledges that California is a tough market for the automaker.
"The market share speaks for itself," Graham says. "It's not a market we've given up on. As the company moves forward, we're going to try to continue to increase market share and sales."
Chrysler Group CEO Sergio Marchionne has praised GMAC for working quickly to get many former Chrysler Financial dealerships floorplanned.
As Chrysler entered a government-sponsored bankruptcy last spring, the federal government appointed GMAC Financial Services as Chrysler's finance company. That forced Chrysler dealerships to negotiate new terms with GMAC.
Some dealers who owed large amounts to Chrysler Financial have had trouble getting GMAC to approve them for floorplan lines, so they have had to seek other lenders at a time when credit is tight.
The U.S. Department of Treasury holds a 56 percent stake in GMAC, up from 35.4 percent before a recent infusion of aid.
GMAC declined to speak about the situations of individual dealers.
"We approved the vast majority of Chrysler dealers who applied for wholesale credit lines and are continuing to work with the few remaining dealers who have conditional credit approval," GMAC President Bill Muir said this month.
Scott Reneau, dealer principal of Reneau Chrysler-Dodge in Paso Robles, Calif., can't buy new cars, either. Last week he had four new cars on his lot, all 2009 models. He says talks continue with banks, and he has some hope of success.
Reneau says he is able to order some cars from another dealer and pay cash for them. He says GMAC told him he is undercapitalized. Reneau says he's willing to take a smaller floorplan line but has found GMAC and other banks unreceptive.
"They think of it as more of a cost. They don't want to do [a credit line of] $1 million or $2 million," says Reneau, who used to sell 35 to 45 cars a month.
Reneau is frustrated: "You ask for help, and you're treated like a leper out here. You call banks, and they don't return phone calls."
Seeking another franchiseClaycamp is working hard to get as much revenue as possible from the Iversen Motors service department and boost his store's bottom line so he can make a run at another franchise.
"The service department is what's keeping us going," he says. "I have not heard from Chrysler motors at all. They're not pushing the issue that I'm not buying cars. I'm one of the only guys who can take care of customers as far as the warranty work."
Iversen Motors got into trouble when the economy went downhill in late 2007 and early 2008. Claycamp says his dealership kept buying cars whenever Chrysler asked, and the cars kept piling up as the economy deteriorated.
Iversen had about 200 new cars on the ground when Chrysler Financial suspended the dealership's floorplan line in February 2008.
Although Iversen was on flooring hold, Chrysler didn't reject the dealership during the automaker's bankruptcy. Claycamp says a GMAC official told the dealer that Claycamp couldn't get the $6 million line he was seeking even if he put up $3 million himself.
"It's our belief that GMAC got Chrysler dealers crammed down their throats, and they were going to be very selective," says Claycamp, who does not own his dealership's property. "If you didn't own your own property and have equity and all the collateral they were looking for, you were wasting ink."
Can't get floorplanningSalem Arnaout owns Simi Valley Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge, situated in a community of about 110,000 on the western edge of metropolitan Los Angeles. He says he can't get floorplanning even though he tried to take advantage of a U.S. Small Business Administration program that would have guaranteed 75 percent of the loan.
"Nobody wants to do Chrysler dealers," Arnaout says.
Jim Crook, owner of Santa Barbara Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep, is more optimistic, although he still doesn't have a floorplan line because he is undercapitalized.
Crook had a $5 million flooring line with Chrysler Financial. He says he now would be willing to have a substantially smaller line, more in line with market realities for Chrysler in California.
Crook bought the dealership in the upscale community three years ago. A month later he learned DaimlerChrysler AG was putting Chrysler up for sale.
"There are a lot of positive things going on," Crook says. "I was a big boy. I was the one who got involved. Somehow this thing will come out. Sergio [Marchionne] has some great ideas."


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We help and
We support innovative ideas and business models in the logistics industry: anything from drones to driverless vehicles to completely transparent, digitised storage - the future of...
Innovation award: Minister Pinkwart honours Fiege with digital economy award
The German Ministry of Economics, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy has presented Fiege with the Digitale Wirtschaft 2018 award. The prize that recognises achievements in innovation relating to the digital economy…


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Apple today released the first beta version of iOS 13.4 for developers, and now 9to5Mac has found evidence of a new feature that will make it possible to use the iPhone as a car key, and more.
iOS 13.4 contains references to a “CarKey” API, which will make it possible to use the iPhone and also the Apple Watch to unlock, lock, and start a car. According to the system’s internal files, users will be able to use CarKey in NFC-compatible cars, as they only need to hold the device near the vehicle to use it as a key.
It will not be necessary to authenticate with Face ID, similar to what happens with Express Transit Cards. This also means that the feature will work even with iPhone or Apple Watch out of battery.


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June 9, 2011 |
TOKYO: Sony Corp, which last month posted its widest annual loss since 1995, is proposing an 11 percent cut in salary and bonuses for board members and corporate executive officers in the year ended in March. Sony seeks shareholder approval to pay a combined 1.1 billion yen ($14 million) to 24 executives, including Chairman Howard Stringer , for that fiscal year, according to an invitation for the annual general meeting posted on its website. That compares with the 1.24 billion yen paid to 20 executives a year earlier, according to the company.
December 21, 2010 |
TOKYO: Sony Corp, struggling to return its television business to profit, may pass Samsung Electronics Co this year as the top seller of flat-screen TVs in India, the fastest-growing major market, researcher DisplaySearch said. In a shift from an earlier strategy that focused on India's wealthiest shoppers, Sony has gained market share by offering cheaper models and expanding its distribution network, Hisakazu Torii, a Tokyo-based analyst at DisplaySearch, said in an interview.
October 5, 2001 |
mumbai: a bomb scare created panic in the office of sony entertainment television (set) on friday afternoon. according to an eye-witness, a caller identifying himself as "a detective from oshiwara" rung up the office of kunal dasgupta, the ceo of set, and talked about a bomb being planted in the premises. the police was informed and all the employees were hurriedly evacuated from the set office at shah industrial estate off veera desai road in andheri west. the police pressed several sniffer dogs into service but the threat turned out to be a hoax.
October 6, 2004 |
MUMBAI: The India-Australia Test series, which kicks off in Bangalore today, will be beamed live on Doordarshan and Sony after a thumbs-up from the supreme court. A constitution bench on Tuesday permitted the BCCI to give telecast rights for the India-Australia, India-South Africa series and an India-Pakistan match in between to DD nationally and to SET Satellite Singapore Pvt Ltd internationally. The series will be produced by Ten Sports. The court directed that separate accounts should be maintained of the telecasts.
March 14, 2002 |
mumbai: the new distribution alliance between sony entertainment television (set) india and discovery networks international may offer the consumer greater entertainment in a bundle, but it will come for a price. while discovery's non-fiction brands discovery channel and animal planet will be part of a bouquet with set india, set max, axn and cnbc, the cost of the bouquet will go up soon. at a recent press conference to announce the tie-up, set ceo kunal dasgupta and discovery network india md deepak shourie unequivocally talked about an imminent price hike for the bouquet.
September 1, 2012 |
Kazuo Hirai appears to be a man in a hurry. At 52, he is not only among the youngest CEOs to be heading Sony, one of the world's biggest consumer electronics and entertainment companies, but also faces one of the major challenges faced by the Japanese giant. His Challenge: Pulling the company out of four consecutive years of losses while battling the onslaught from companies such as Apple and Samsung. Hirai, who has begun restructuring the company since he took charge in April, wants Sony to be the "innovator of technology" , rather than being a follower.
December 20, 2010 |
TOKYO: Sony Corp, the world's third- largest television maker, may miss a target to sell 25 million TVs this fiscal year, Vice President Hiroshi Yoshioka said. The company may fall short of its goal for the year ending in March 31 by a "little bit," he said in Tokyo today without elaborating. Sony's overall electronics sales are in-line with the previous year in developed countries and are increasing in emerging markets, said Yoshioka, who is in charge of the business.
October 7, 2009 |
SEOUL: Sony Corp, Japan's biggest exporter of televisions, said the yen may strengthen, threatening to push Japanese electronics makers further behind South Korean competitors such as Samsung Electronics Co. Combined with falling television prices and a weak US economy, the Tokyo-based maker of Bravia TVs has no "moment to breathe," Sony Vice Chairman Ryoji Chubachi said in an interview yesterday. By comparison, Samsung Electronics reported operating profit more than doubled last quarter and analysts estimate the company's net income climbed to a record.
May 17, 2013 |
LONDON: A group of British hackers who "ran riot" causing millions of dollars of damage to computer networks run by Sony, the CIA and other agencies were sentenced to jail terms on Thursday. Police said four men, members of the hacking collective known as LulzSec , put thousands of internet users' personal data at risk through their high-profile cyberattacks in 2011. The defendants, three in their twenties and one aged 18, cost Sony $20 million in revenue during an online crime spree that they boasted about on Twitter, behind their online monikers ViraL, Kayla, Topiary, and tFlow, the London court heard.
January 19, 2013 |
LONDON: The chief executive of Sony has signalled that the firm plans to adopt an Apple-like strategy of focussing on the high-end as it aims to turn its smartphone business into source of growth. Chief executive Kazuo Hirai, 52, said he had decided to abandon the development of non-smartphones, a business its defunct joint venture with Ericsson pursued enthusiastically. Hirai said Sony is out of the feature-phone business and is in the Android-based smartphone business, reports The Telegraph.


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US drink gives Cadbury £60m thirst
Cadbury Schweppes is considering a bid for All Sport Body Quencher, one of the largest sports drinks brands in the US. It may offer up to £60m.
The brand has 5% of the £1.2bn a year American market and is the official sports drink brand of the US Open tennis tournament and the Seattle Mariners baseball team.
All Sport's current owner, PepsiCo, is expected to be forced to sell the brand by regulators after the cola giant's £10bn takeover of soft drinks and food company Quaker, owner of market-leading sports drink Gatorade.
Gatorade has a market share of 80% and is one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the US.
Coca-Cola, which tried to take over Quaker, has the sports drinks market's second-largest brand in Powerade with a 14% share and is thought unlikely to be interested in All Sport.
Analysts believe regulators will want All Sport to go to a credible buyer with a distribution network and the financial clout to promote the brand against Gatorade. Cadbury is the third largest soft drinks company in the US with the Dr Pepper, 7-UP and Snapple brands, but does not have a presence in the sports drink market where it is difficult to launch a brand from scratch.
A source close to Cadbury said the company was seeking a broad portfolio of drinks brands and was watching the situation closely.
All Sport is available in nine flavours and trumpets itself as the only major sports drink to replace vitamin B lost during exercise. PepsiCo has struggled to make money out of the drink and this, coupled with its forced sale, could mean favourable terms for a buyer.
Though Cadbury is keen to bolster its confectionery arm, a lack of opportunities have meant its recent deals have focused on beverages with last year's £700m purchase of Snapple and present negotiations to buy Orangina from Pernod.
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Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) has announced the launch of the inaugural Dubai Home Festival (DHF) where homeware retailers will offer discounts of up to 75 per cent.
It will run from Thursday 18 April to Wednesday 1 May and give interiors fans the perfect opportunity to shop.
Showcasing Dubai as the hub of homeware in the Middle East, the citywide event will feature an array of home furnishing sales, promotions, events and the opportunity to win an apartment throughout the festival.
Shoppers will also be able to take part in a series of workshops and masterclasses hosted by design experts to help finesse their furnishing style and create decorative pieces.
PROMOTIONS AND OFFERS
• The DHF Sale will run throughout the festival period (18 April – 1 May) and will see many homeware retailers offer 25 to 75 per cent off all homeware, appliances and home accessories products
• DHF Friday Surprise will take place on 19 April and 26 April and will give bargain-hunters the chance to bag an offer on an exclusive product range at a specified shopping location, time and outlet each week. Details of the deals will only be revealed 24 hours beforehand on the official website and social channels.
• DHF Reveals will see homeware brands launch a new collection, especially for Dubai Home Festival. Details of the limited-edition range will only be announced on social media.


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The Lamborghini Urus Concept, which was officially presented to the public in a world premiere during this year’s Beijing Motor Show showed its face in front of the Sant’agata Bolognese factory a few days ago.
The Urus is expected to carry a starting price of €170,000, or about $211,000 at today’s exchange rates, making it the cheapest Lamborghini model in the lineup.
Lamborghini has previously said that it is targeting the Urus for the USA, the United Kingdom, Germany, Russia, the Middle East and China. Annual production volume could be around 3,000 units.
The model will use the PL73 platform that will also underpin the next-generation Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg and the production version of Bentley’s EXP 9 F concept. Engineers will target a base kerb weight of around 4,400 lbs (1,996 kg) with the use of lightweight materials including carbon fiber and aluminum.
With a likely twin-turbo V8 with around 600bhp under the bonnet the Urus should offer proper supercar performance and more than decent off-road abilities, unlike Lamborghini’s last SUV which, although it did the off-road bit with aplomb, wasn’t exactly exciting to drive.


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A new report by personal-finance website WalletHub has ranked Houston the 15th best place to get married in the country this year.
The study rated 180 of the largest U.S. cities on 23 indicators of cost-effectiveness, convenience, and enjoyment. Houston rose to the top when it came to bridal shops (seventh in the nation), hotels (10th), flower shops (17th), and venues and event spaces (23rd) per capita.
According to the data, couples spend an average of more than $35,000 on their nuptials, swelling the wedding industry to reach $76 billion in revenue. If your big day is coming up and you'd prefer to further localize your dollars, though, you're in luck: A string of Houston-based Etsy shops make personalizing the occasion as easy as one click.


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Movie Theaters Face Uncertain Future As Studios Move Toward Streaming Releases
Warner Bros. has announced that its 2021 lineup of movies will be available the same day on their streaming service HBO Max as in theaters. Now both large theater chains like AMC as well as smaller, legacy establishments are struggling to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic that has already hit them hard.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Apple's iPad widens lead as tablet sales soar
Published 4:00 am, Friday, June 15, 2012
The global market for tablet computers is growing faster than expected, with Apple's iPad widening its lead as consumers' top choice, according to market researcher International Data Corp.
Worldwide shipments of tablets this year will be 107.4 million units, up from an earlier projection of 106.1 million, IDC said Thursday.
Worldwide shipments should reach 142.8 million next year and 222.1 million by 2016, the group said.
Even as companies including Amazon.com and Samsung Electronics release new tablets running Google's Android operating system, Apple's iPad continues to dominate the market. IDC predicts the iPad will account for 62.5 percent of global shipments this year, up from 58.2 percent last year.
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Apple's share could rise even further if it introduces a smaller, less expensive tablet.
"Apple's iPad shows few signs of slowing down," said Tom Mainelli, IDC's research director of mobile connected devices. "If Apple launches a sub-$300, 7-inch product into the market later this year as rumored, we expect the company's grip on this market to become even stronger."
Shipments of tablets using Android will slip to 36.5 percent, from 38.7 percent last year, according to IDC.
The report highlights how consumers are increasingly turning to tablets for basic computing needs such as browsing the Internet, checking e-mail and watching video, a trend that has affected the sales of traditional PC makers such as Hewlett- Packard and Dell. Last week, research firm Yankee Group predicted tablet sales in the United States will eclipse those of personal computers by 2015.
Microsoft Corp. is releasing a new version of its Windows operating system this year that will work on tablet computers. IDC said the "huge marketing blitz" for tablets running that software will boost sales and shipments, though it didn't include potential sales of Windows-based devices in the forecast released Thursday.


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After failing to reach a new licensing agreement with the United Kingdom's Performing Right Society, YouTube has begun blocking thousands of premium music videos from playing for users in the UK.
Sony has provided some detailed specifications for its promised and anticipated X-series Walkman that was teased at January's CES but the launch date remains the biggest unanswered question.
Mobile printing has never been easier. For a busy office, reliable and easy-to-use tools are essential. Samsung's latest smart printers are equipped for wireless printing from mobile devices. Find out more about what is all about.
Sony today announced it will inject 20,000 new Blu-ray players into Australian homes via a new Bravia TV promotion.
Budget manufacturer and retailer Kogan today announced the KEVIN37, a 37in LCD television that will cost $900 — the same amount earmarked for individual tax-payers who earn $80,000 or less in the Federal Government's economic stimulus package.
Rather than building a Zune-branded smartphone, Microsoft plans to take the software and online store it built for its Zune media player and bring them to your television set in the hopes of emulating Apple's phenomenally successful iTunes Store. But...
Ireland's largest ISP won't block The Pirate Bay -- the embattled BitTorrent search engine and tracker -- absent a court order, a spokesman said Tuesday.
Epson has released two new 1080p home entertainment projectors.
Hackers defaced the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's (IFPI) Swedish Web site on Wednesday as The Pirate Bay trial continued.
The most serious charges against Sweedish file-sharing site the Pirate Bay have been dropped on the second day of the case, after it emerged the prosecution could not prove that illegal downloaders had used the site to distribute media.
The eyes of the file-sharing community remained on Sweden on Tuesday as the trial of four men from The Pirate Bay continued in Stockholm.
Samsung launched a whole host of new mobile phones at the Mobile World Congress, but the biggest attraction was the Omnia HD, which can record video in HD resolution and play it on an HD-ready TV.
The trial against four people involved in running The Pirate Bay, one of the most widely used BitTorrent trackers for music, movies and software, will start on Monday in Stockholm.
The Pioneer Corporation yesterday announced its intention to shut down any further development of its KURO plasma television line, citing a lack of prospects for improving profitability in the current market conditions.
Panasonic has launched its latest range of Lumix cameras in Singapore this week. The new Lumix camera range will be rolled out in stores from March, and will include the new FS series and TZ series cameras, as well as a brand new ruggedised camera ca...
Japanese electronics giant Panasonic on Wednesday forecast its first yearly loss in a long time and said it will slash jobs due to the worsening global economy.
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First impression on unpacking the Q702 test unit was the solid feel and clean, minimalist styling.


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Samsung will show a new wearable at Mobile World Congress: a shoe
The Iofit is a sports shoe stuffed with sensors, developed by former Samsung employees
By Peter Sayer
PCWorldFeb 15, 2016 7:53 am PST
Samsung Electronics will play host to a new wearable device on its stand at Mobile World Congress next week: a smart shoe.
The sole of the Iofit sneaker is loaded with accelerometers and pressure sensors that communicate with a mobile app, making it easier for coaches to provide personalized tips for different sports.
Created by former Samsung employees at the company’s C-Lab business development center, Iofit is intended as a replacement for an existing coaching aid, the force plate, in which the pressure sensors are embedded in the floor. Moving the smarts to the shoe, and the coaching function to the phone, will open up such high-tech training support to new markets, its developers hope.
Iofit’s array of sensors allow it to monitor the how wearers shift their weight from one foot to the other, and how they balance. An app paired with the shoes can display a real-time pressure map of the soles of their feet, and even link it to a video recording of the wearer’s movements.
But, say Iofit’s developers, providing data alone is insufficient. To be useful as a training aid, something like Iofit has to help them interpret the data and obtain coaching advice. To that end, the Iofit app allows wearers to analyse their movements and compare them with saved videos. Coaches can annotate the videos, providing tips without having to be present, or even online at the same time.
Salted Venture, the company created to sell the technology, is hoping to partner with sports shoe brands to bring it to market.


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Thomas Tschabold of Glass Doctor in Maumee, Ohio, recently renewed his Master Auto Glass Technician certification with the Auto Glass Safety Council™ (AGSC).
Tschabold has been in the industry for more than 30 years. “I got into this industry because of a high school friend,” he recalls. “His dad owned an auto glass shop and they were looking for someone. Things sure are a lot different than they were back then.”
He says he has “always been encouraged by my employers to seek certification as a way to stand apart from other installers.”
In Tschabold’s spare time, he enjoys reading or listening to books, restoring his old classic car, fishing and rehabbing rental properties. Additionally, he previously ran a Duck decoy manufacturing business for 16 years, and now is considering “growing food hydroponically at a commercial level.”
“I try to keep busy and not get stagnant,” adds Tschabold.


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A new telemarketing rule that goes into effect this Wednesday could cause marketers a lot of headaches and potential lawsuits in the coming days. By Oct. 16, marketers must get prior written consent from consumers before delivering auto-dialed or prerecorded calls or mobile texts to consumers.
The Federal Trade Commission is suing Dish Network, alleging the satellite TV provider called millions of consumers after they asked telemarketers not to call them again.
Telemarketers won't be able to interrupt your dinner anymore. The Federal Communications Commission Wednesday voted unanimously to adopt new rules cracking down on those annoying robocalls that seem to come at the most inopportune moment.


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Comedian Nathan Fielder told Kimmel the Hillhurst Avenue store, which looks identical to a real Starbucks but for the word "dumb" preceding its moniker, is legal because of parody law.
"The health department came ... and shut us down for selling coffee without a health permit. What they don't understand is that, technically, legally speaking, we're an art gallery. And the coffee we're selling is consider the art," Fielder said as the audience burst into laughter.
"I see," Kimmel dryly responded.
"By not having the proper health permits and paying those fees, we're able to pass those savings onto the customer," Fielder joked.
Before it closed, Dumb Starbucks served up coffee in paper Dumb Starbucks-branded cups that look like the real deal.
During his Kimmel appearance, Fielder presented the host with one of the cups filled with coffee.
"It's cold," Kimmel joked.
"I had to take it from the store, yeah, so it's been in car my all day," Fielder said.
Watch the full interview here: youtube.com/watch?v=4MJWz3w5ZQc&feature=c4-overview&list=UUa6vGFO9ty8v5KZJXQxdhaw
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" airs weeknights on ABC, the parent company of KTRK-TV.


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America’s oldest continuously operated woolen mill is set to be closed by next week, the end of this year.
Woolrich USA is reportedly cutting corners in order to continue the brand into the future. The brand has been around for almost two centuries.
The announcement of the mill’s closing came down Nov. 1 but is just making national news.
The company reportedly promised its Clinton County, Pa. factory workers at the initial announcement in November that they will aid them in finding jobs elsewhere.
Woolrich’s roots begin from the year 1830, when John Rich founded the company to make fabric for the wives of hunters, loggers and trappers to make clothes and socks for the hard, mountainous terrain of 19th century Pennsylvania.
The signature Woolrich fabric being the classic red and black buffalo-check plaid flannel. The company’s website boasts about its woolen mill’s history and roots.
The new merger would mean the company’s headquarters would move to London, according to reports.


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Carmakers can sell small electric cars made in Europe for € 25 000 while making a profit, new research from Transport & Environment (T&E) shows. Falling production costs and battery prices would make mass-market B-segment vehicles feasible to electrify by 2025, according to the study by Transport & Environment (T&E) based on analysis by the Syndex consultancy.
T&E says the availability of smaller, more affordable EVs could be a game changer for mass adoption of electric cars and will be crucial if European carmakers are to hold off the challenge of Chinese companies surging into Europe.
European manufacturers can make a reasonable 4% profit margin on a small battery electric vehicle produced in Europe in 2025, according to the report’s ‘favorable market conditions’ scenario. This would see battery costs fall to $ 100 per kWh, in line with forecasts by BloombergNEF and others.
The report factors in other direct cost reductions while keeping broad industry expectations around indirect costs and mark-ups. The B-segment vehicle would have a 40 kWh LFP battery and a range of 250-300 km.
Julia Poliscanova, senior director for vehicles and emobility supply chains at T&E, said: “Survey after survey has shown prices are one of the biggest barriers to drivers going electric. The € 25 000 small BEV will be a game changer for public adoption of electric cars.”
“Bringing those models to market quickly and in volumes is crucial for European manufacturers to compete with Chinese rivals, which are already offering cheap, small electric cars here,” she added.
Small is beautiful
The arrival of more affordable, small electric cars would hasten the uptake of zero-emission cars in Europe, a new survey shows. One-quarter (25%) of new car buyers already intend to buy an electric car in the next year, according to a YouGov poll for T&E in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland and the UK.
But when given the option of a small € 25 000 electric car, the share of new car buyers willing to buy a battery electric model increases to 35%. This would equate to an additional 1 million EVs being sold in Europe annually, replacing combustion equivalents.
Preferring higher profits per car
However, six big European carmakers have abandoned small, affordable cars in pursuit of profits that have grown far faster than inflation. Between 2019 and 2022, their net profit per vehicle jumped from between -€ 40 – € 1 920 per car up to € 510 – €8 940 per car, adjusted for inflation, the report finds.
This was delivered by prioritizing sales of larger, more lucrative SUVs, which today account for over half (53%) of all vehicles sold in Europe. Electric SUVs, which consume more electricity and raw materials, accounted for 51% of electric car sales in 2022.
For the six carmakers analyzed by T&E (BMW, Mercedes, Renault, Stellantis, Volvo Cars, and Volkswagen), the revenue, or the gross income, per new car has increased significantly: between 33% and 52% between 2019-2022, or around 3-4 times more than inflation in the same period. This means car prices in Europe have grown 17%-34% on top of inflation.
“This increase in profits accounts for up to 94% of all revenue generated over the same period. This means that the carmakers’ race for profits, rather than supply chain problems, is at the heart of making cars more expensive,” concludes T&E.
Prioritizing smaller EVs
T&E says lawmakers need to create the conditions for car companies to prioritize small electric cars, which are better for the environment, more accessible to low-income households, and enhance the competitiveness of the European auto industry.
It calls for a joined-up strategy of EV efficiency rules at the EU level, vehicle taxes and subsidies at the national level that penalize weight, and higher parking charges for SUVs at the local level.
Julia Poliscanova commented: “More car buyers will go electric if small affordable BEVs are available. But right now, carmakers are happy to cream the profits off large SUVs, which are too expensive for many low-income households.”
“Lawmakers need to step in with efficiency standards, taxes, reform of subsidies, and other measures that tip the balance in favor of small, affordable electric cars and ordinary people,” she concluded.
Even in such a scenario, the really cheap cars one could buy a few years ago at € 10 000 to 15 000 will be gone in the electric era, making a lot of people with lower incomes turn to the second-hand market or hold on to their old, severely polluting car.
The price of really affordable EVs for everyone should be around € 20 000, but then people will have to change their expectations for an EV of this size and price. Such a car can’t be very powerful or have a range of 500 km or more. The basic question is if this is really necessary. The answer is no, but prejudice remains. Or will this segment of the ‘car’ market finally be taken by the proliferating EV four-wheelers like Citroën Ami, Mobilize Duo, Silence S04, and other Microlinos?


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While it’s not easy being green — at least, not to hear Kermit tell it — it is a desirable quality in marine products today and can even win companies a cash reward.
West Marine, the largest specialty retailer of boating supplies and accessories, announced the winners of its fourth annual Green Product of the Year Award at February’s Miami International Boat Show.
The Attwood Fuel Demand Valve and West Marine CFA Eco Antifouling Bottom Paint shared top honors and the $10,000 prize. These products address two dramatically different problems and both are capable of making a big difference in air and water pollution.
An important component of West Marine’s BlueFuture initiative to help create a sustainable future, the Green Product of the Year Award hopes to encourage green product development in the marine industry. The judges made their selection based on effectiveness, cost-competitiveness, environmental impact, degree of innovation and verification of claims.
In addition, West Marine showcased its Hot Picks for the most innovation products of 2013. These include: Columbia Omni-Freeze ZERO clothing; West Marine CFA Bottom Paint; Caframo Taku Fan; Lenco Autoglide Trim Tabs; Isotherm Smart Energy Control (ISEC); and DeLorme inReach compact satellite communicator.
“The goal [with our Hot Picks] is to find products that make boating safer, more enjoyable or more economical, combined with that ‘got to have it’ factor,” said Chuck Hawley, vice president of product information at West Marine.
You can find complete details about the award winners, visit the West Marine website.


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ISTANA opens new boutique at Four Seasons Resort Dubai
ISTANA, the renowned multi-brand jewellery retailer has opened a new boutique inside the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach.
Located in the lobby of the opulent property, this is Istana’s third boutique in Dubai and will carry exclusive selection of jewelry and time pieces from various international brands including Adler, Icelink and Repossi.
Mr. Danny Mukhi, Managing Director of ISTANA, said "We are pleased to announce the opening of our third store in Dubai which is part of our expansion plans in the Middle East. ISTANA is known to cater to luxurious clients and our new location is a testament to this. Now we’ll be able to extend our line of jewellery to a wider market. We invite hotel guests and residents to visit the new boutique and check the latest jewellery collections.”
ISTANA houses some of the most opulent jewellery and watch houses from across the globe, each with their distinct style, and of superb quality. The company aims to fulfil the needs of their clients by providing an assorted range of products, created with highly quality standards with the most unique and creative designs and use of best materials to suit different tastes.


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A healthy new-housing construction market combined with very low inventory levels have combined to increase demand for softwood lumber in North America, according to the industry benchmark Madison’s Lumber Prices Index report, issued Wednesday.
A thousand board feet of mixed species lumber (spruce, pine, fir) is selling this week for US$496, down $2 from last week.
“Prices on many items rebounded somewhat, with specialty commodities like studs leading the charge,” the report states. “Customers were caught flat-footed by diminishing supply as actual building activity got into high gear for the first time this year.
“Severe wildfires in (Canada) were ongoing, while weather conditions provided little hope of a respite any time soon. The unknowns of possible sawmill curtailments and lowered lumber production volumes served to motivate buyers to step in with booking purchases for wood needed into the coming weeks and month.”
Construction framing lumber prices flattened out towards the end of July and Industry analysts are convinced the softwood prices have crested at stable levels which lumber producers and the sawmill industry have sought for the past two years.
“Certainly those incredible highs of US$1,600 mfbm during the worst of the COVID disruption to business and society are not expected to return; but also those persistent lows of approximately US$250 mfbm for the decade previous are not expected either.
“This is due to the sharp increase in cost-of-production, especially in the important timber supply basket of British Columbia.”
Prices this year for 1,000 board feet of 2 X 4 WSPF lumber have ranged from a low of US$352 to a high of US$476.


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Microsoft introduced the latest, much un-anticipated "Mango" version of its Windows Phone operating system this morning in Tokyo, prompting observers to wonder whether Japan – still recovering from a devastating tsunami and nuclear-power-plant meltdown – should be forced to deal with one more disaster.
Microsoft – which has become dominant or a clear leader in almost every segment of the mainstream operating system market –succeeded in changing its share of the global smartphone market by almost five percent between 2010 and 2011, according to IDC.
Last year Windows Phone ran on 7.1 percent of new handsets; at the end of the first quarter of 2011, it held 2.7 percent of the smartphone market.
Microsoft CEO Steve Balllmer described the company's success in the smartphone market at a reseller conference this month in typically overoptimistic hyperbole:
"We've gone from very small to...very small," he said, ignoring a detailed market-share progression analysis that rates it as "highly probable" that 2.7 percent is smaller than 7.1 percent.
The total numbers are higher, of course. Between 2010 and 2011, the total smartphone market grew from 305 million units sold worldwide to 472 million – an increase of 64.5 percent.
Close analysis of market-change dynamics also shows a high indication that, in rate-of-growth terms, 64.5 percent is a higher number than negative 263 percent –the growth (shrinkage) rate of Windows Phone between 2010 and 2011.
IDC does predict that, by 2015 the prevalent version of Windows 7 (code-named "stinkweed") will make up as much as 20 percent of the global smartphone market.
IDC does not explicitly say this is a pessimistic prediction based on the depressed and nihilistic view of some analysts' overall expectation that the world is rapidly devolving into chaos, disorder and misery.
It is possible, however, to infer that from a single data point, if you try hard enough.
IDC did say the growth it expects from Windows 7 will be driven at least partly by an assist on sales from Nokia, which has suffered its own setbacks in smartphone sales, under a recent agreement in which Nokia promised to run Windows phone on its phones and Microsoft promised to invest in Nokia, pay the company for much of its development effort and keep any of the top executives from being forced to speak to Ballmer in person.
Neither IDC nor other smartphone-market analysts, ethicists, philosophers or rescue workers agreed to comment on the moral permissibility or potential catastrophic impact of shipping Windows Phone "Mango" in the already devastated Japan.
Though rich in culture and history, Japan is a relatively small island country that would be difficult to evacuate if it were to suffer a sudden influx of Windows smarphone devices. Global NGOs and humanitarian organizations are reportedly already gearing up to deliver immediate assistance if needed.
In the meantime, Ballmer was overheard to say something in public that, though unclear and directed at people other than the eavesdropper, something about the invasion of Japan helping Windows Phone's market share advance from "very small" to "[expletive deleted]."
We and the Japanese people wish Microsoft luck with that goal.